A Quarter Report

First quarter ends in nine days, and I haven’t blogged once. That is a problem. I’ve blogged over at my personal blog occasionally, but this quarter has me on the ropes. I’m facing challenges I’ve never faced before, and they are testing my abilities.

Consequently, writing falls to the wayside, even though writing is often the best way to process a struggle.

I’ve been taking a photo on Instagram every day, using the hashtag #180DaysofHappy, to document at least one good thing about my school day. It’s helped me find the good in my classrooms–because even on my worst days (or what I think are my worst days), there’s something good to be found.

Some of the good that I’ve found this first quarter?

A couple of new reporters who are killing it on newspaper. Some great discussions in my Pop Culture classes. Watching students figure out how to take better photos. Successful live commentary for our football live-stream. Discovering new writing talent in my journalistic writing class.

Some days, I forget to snap a photo of something that really makes me happy, and I’m scrambling at the end of the day to figure out what might take its place. But I’m trying, and for the most part, succeeding, and it reminds me that there is so much good going on in my classroom, if I just stop long enough to notice it.